The Family Values Trilogy
by Coraline Morgan
Summary: A series of vignettes that revolve around Coraline, Lance, & Mick, and what happened after Lance took Coraline In TMC. Set after Sonata, in my Josef & Emma AU. Coraline has returned to L.A., Mick and Beth are lovers, and Josef is married to Emma.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original character, Emma, and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Characters: Mick; Lance; plus, Coraline; Josef; Emma; and Beth.

Rating: PG for adult themes.

A/N: This story is a mix of canon and AU. In order to create a timeline, I borrowed from my Josef & Emma series. Accordingly, this takes place after _Sonata. _Mick and Beth are a couple; Josef has just married his fledgling, Emma; Coraline survived and has returned to L.A., (where she gatecrashed the wedding); and Lance DuVall travelled to the U.S. to formally offer the DuVall family's congratulations to Josef...

**Family Reunion.** By Coraline Morgan & wpgrace.

Ten feet from the door, Mick stopped dead in his tracks and inhaled sharply.

_Lance DuVall? What the hell? _

Mick opened the door and met Lance's stare head on. The European was wearing a mildly smug expression, yet he remained still and silent. When it became clear that he was waiting for an invitation, Mick stepped aside and motioned for Lance to enter.

Lance barely nodded and strode into Mick's apartment. He looked around appraisingly, and when the door clicked closed, he murmured, "Thank you, Mick."

"What do you want, Lance?" Mick's voice was colder than his freezer.

Lance turned, his heavy coat swirling elegantly, and he faced Mick with a smile.

"Now, is _that_ any way to greet your brother-in-law?"

Mick's jaw tightened. His chin jutted forward.

"My sire sent me – as a representative of the family – to formally extend our congratulations to Josef Kostan on the occasion of his marriage." Lance walked to the sofa and sat down. "Josef's infant bride is beautiful, isn't she, Mick? She reminds me of my sister."

_Coraline. Lance has come to talk about Coraline. _

Mick walked into the kitchen, selected two glasses and poured himself a scotch.

"Would you like a drink, Lance?"

"No, thank you."

Mick walked into the living room, sat down opposite Lance, and waited. The older vampire watched with an expression of mild amusement while the younger one nursed his drink.

The sharp scent of the expensive liquor competed with the testosterone that hung thick in the air.

Finally, Lance effected a bored expression and sighed.

The corner of Mick's mouth twitched.

_After all these centuries, Lance is still a spoiled aristocrat._

"Mick, I'm a busy man ... but since I was sent to this _backwater_, I decided a family reunion was in order ... even though you haven't been entirely civil on the three previous occasions we've met."

Lance leaned back, stretched his arms out along the back of the sofa, and pinned Mick with a cold stare.

"Are you here to discuss my manners, or is there a point to this visit?"

"Ah, Mick," Lance smiled slowly. "I'm beginning to see why Josef has kept you as his _pet_ for these last few decades ... you really are quite amusing at times." He paused and waited for Mick to react to the insult, and was secretly pleased when the younger man refused him the satisfaction. Lance pretended to pick a piece of lint from his coat, and then continued. "The first time we met, you looked me straight in the eye and lied to me. And twice you've _tried_ to fight me. Apparently you are either very _stupid_ or very _brave_. According to Coraline, it's the latter." He leaned forward and rested his forearms on his knees. "Mick, I want to know what your intentions are regarding my sister."

"Coraline is my ex-wife. I don't have any 'intentions' towards her."

Lance relaxed and resumed his former position on the sofa.

"I am well aware of your beautiful, blonde _paramour_ – but if you honestly believe that you and Coraline are no longer married, perhaps you are stupid after all."

Mick stood and glowered at his unwelcome guest.

Lance rolled his eyes and said, "Really, Mick, these little scuffles are growing tiresome."

_Bastard_.

Mick clenched his jaw, raised his glass, and pointed to the kitchen, indicating he was going for a refill. When he returned to his chair, he took a deep slug of the scotch and grimaced at the burn.

"I know you've seen your wife–"

"Ex-wife."

"–since she returned to L.A." Lance continued as if Mick hadn't interrupted. "But did she tell you what she suffered at the hands of our sire, after she sacrificed herself to save your ungrateful hide? He really made an example of her." Lance paused, lost in clearly unpleasant memories. He looked into Mick's eyes. "You know, there were a few times when I feared that he had gone too far, and that even Coraline's vampiric healing abilities wouldn't be enough to preserve her beauty – or her life."

Mick closed his eyes. _Bad move._ His mind's eye was flooded with the image of the terror in Coraline's eyes as she knelt before her brother, waiting for him to plunge the stake into her heart...

"Coraline spoke of you often during the months our sire held her. She still loves you, Mick." Lance paused, and Mick wondered if the concept was one the French aristocrat was capable of comprehending. "My sister said – many times – that she was glad you hadn't risked your life, yet again, to try and rescue her. Even so, as the months wore on, I know she wondered why you made no attempt to rescue her."

Mick dragged his eyes open – and to his shock, he saw real concern on Lance's face.

_He really does love his sister. _

Lance stood, and the immaculate line of his coat fell smoothly into place.

"You're a confusing man, Mick. You're really still a fledgling, and yet you went head to head with me when I could have killed you without wrinkling my clothes. You fought as hard as you could to protect Coraline. But in the end, you abandoned her to her fate. Yes, she needed to be taught a lesson ... she deserved it for the way she betrayed us ... even so, more than once I thought that I was about to lose her. One night ... when my sister was too broken to drink, and we both feared it was the end ... she lay curled up, whispering in the darkness, telling me what an honourable man you are. That made me wonder why you didn't try to rescue your wife."

_Ex-wife. Coraline is my ex-wife! _

Mick closed his eyes, determined to hide the tears that threatened to spill at any moment.

"Mick, you should know that I told my sire what I'd learned about you. I told him that I saw in you the potential to be truly worthy of our bloodline ... eventually ... and I suspect things wouldn't have been quite so bad for my sister if you'd come to plead on her behalf. Though we'll never know, will we?"

Mick's hands tightened into fists. The glass shattered and sliced into his flesh, yet he ignored the pain and the blood. He was only aware of the deafening the roar in his ears. The banshee's cry.

And when he finally opened his eyes to face Lance, Mick realised he was alone.


	2. Chapter 2

Facing Demons

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original character, Emma, and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Characters: Coraline; Mick; plus Emma; Beth; and Lance.

Rating: PG-13 for adult themes.

A/N: This story is a mix of canon and AU. In order to create a timeline, I borrowed from my Josef & Emma series. Accordingly, this takes place after the events of _Sonata_. The most important things to know are that Josef is married to his fledgling, Emma, and Coraline knows that Beth struck a deal with Josef to have Dean Foster, (the photographer in _Click_), killed.

This was an incredibly difficult and depressing story to write, because to me, canon Mick's inaction never made sense. While I take full responsibility for this story, before anyone sends hate mail, please remember that the opinions expressed by the characters are not necessarily shared by the author.

Facing Demons.

"Busy as my husband is these days, he _will_ notice if I'm not home before sunrise," Emma quipped as she pulled on her coat.

"That's good," Coraline laughed. "Even though there's nobody waiting for me, I need to get home, too."

"Coraline, wait," Mick rumbled. "Can you stay for a few minutes?"

"Sure – if it's important."

Mick nodded once.

_It's important. _

Emma looked a little concerned as her gaze shifted from one friend to the other. She walked across to Coraline, who was standing with her back to the sink, and the two women embraced.

"Thank you so much for the lessons, Coraline," Emma said. "I think I'm slowly getting the hang of it."

"You're doing really well." Coraline smiled warmly. "You'll be speaking fluently in no time – then Josef will have to swear at me in German, instead of French..."

Emma stepped back, shook her head and muttered, "I'm trying to get him to stop swearing at you in any language!" She turned towards Mick. "Thank you for your hospitality, and for the lesson, Mick."

"You're welcome, Emma," he replied, and confirmed his words with a lopsided grin.

When Mick and Emma reached the door, she turned back to face Coraline.

"Are we still on for tomorrow night?"

"Of course. I'm looking forward to it."

"Great." Emma looked up at Mick. "See you in a couple of days then?"

He nodded, and closed the door behind the young vampire. As he walked back towards the kitchen, he looked intently at his silent ex-wife. With her artfully applied make up, black pants and elegant blouse, she looked barely older than Emma. The women could easily pass as sisters, even though their age difference was measured in centuries.

"So what's the deal tomorrow night?"

"We're going shopping and then on to a club that's just opened."

Mick paused mid-step, and his eyebrows knitted together.

"Emma looks like she's got complete control, but remember that she's still a fledgling."

"What do you take me for? I love Emma. She's like a combination of the sister I always wanted and the daughter I _should_ have had." Coraline tilted her head slightly and regarded Mick. "I'm not going to let any harm come to her."

"Just don't let her harm anyone else, either," he responded sharply. "She's not like any other vampire you know. If she hurts someone, she'll never forgive herself."

Mick stopped next to the staircase and ran one hand through his hair.

_Okay. Time to stop stalling. _

"What's on your mind, Mick? You've been giving me strange looks all night."

"No I haven't."

"Emma noticed, too..." He studied the floor until Coraline finally gave in and filled the silence. "She's a quick study. If we could just do something about her appalling accent–"

"I think her Aussie accent is cute," Mick interjected as he met Coraline's gaze.

"So do I – when she's speaking English. But French spoken with an Aussie accent is just..." Coraline closed her eyes and shuddered.

"With any luck, she's gonna pick up your accent ... over time."

"Maybe," she sighed. "I'd love to take her to Paris for a week – you know, to really immerse her in the language and culture."

"I don't think Josef would trust you to take care of his fledgling for a whole week."

"Emma is Josef's wife, not his property, so she can make her own decisions." Coraline looked at her watch. "Well, if we're done discussing Emma's French lessons, I'd better get going. I guess I'll see you on Monday?"

"Lance came to see me."

"Really?" Coraline responded in a noncommittal tone.

"Yeah."

_As if you didn't know. _

"Mick?" Coraline waved as though she needed to catch his attention. "Are you going to make me ask what he wanted?"

"He came to talk about you." Coraline stiffened, but her expression remained serene, so Mick pressed. "Lance told me what your sire did to you ... after he took you away that night..."

"I really don't want to talk about the past, Mick."

_Damn you're good. You look so innocent. _

"So was the surprise visit your idea or his?"

"I had no idea that he planned to see you." She shook her head for emphasis. "He hates being away from Europe, so I had no reason to suspect–"

"You expect me to believe that?" Mick demanded.

Coraline noticed that his voice had risen to a mellow tenor, instead of his usual baritone. Mick was far more upset than his expression revealed, so she responded carefully.

"You're the one who brought the subject up. Not me."

Coraline looked over to where her coat and purse were laying on the sofa. Mick moved quickly and grabbed her upper arm.

"Your brother claimed that you almost died."

_Tell me that's not true. _

"What else did he say?"

"Why don't you tell me what the two of you rehearsed?" He leaned closer, his fangs visible behind his tight smile. "And I'll tell you if he stuck to the script."

"You know, Mick," Coraline spoke softly as she placed her cool hand squarely in the centre of his chest, "fighting with you was kinda fun when we were married ... when there was make-up-sex to look forward to. But under these circumstances..."

She pushed him a little, but he didn't budge; he only tightened his hold as he glared down at her.

Abruptly, Coraline's eyes flashed silver and she snarled, "You're hurting me. Let me go!" He did. She took a few steps away from Mick, and then smiled. "I know you won't cheat on Beth. But that doesn't change the fact that you still want me."

"I don't," he stated flatly.

"Liar."

Mick turned his back on his sire, and took two glasses from a shelf.

"I'm gonna have a drink. Would you like one?"

"Only if you have wine."

Coraline settled herself on the sofa and waited in silence. A minute later, Mick approached and handed her the wine glass. He sat rigidly in the chair opposite and took a slug of his scotch. Coraline sighed and put her glass on the table between them.

"Exactly what do you want to know, Mick?"

"I _need_ to know if Lance was telling the truth."

_Please, Coraline, for once, tell me the truth. _

"That night," she began in a carefully modulated tone, "he took me back to France. Our sire was ... displeased ... with me. He told me he was going to make an example of me, so that others would be more respectful of the rules in the future." Coraline closed her eyes. "He held me for months. Lance used to visit from time to time. We talked about you, Mick. Often. Eventually ... on a night we both thought was my last ... Lance told me that you were a vampire – again – and that you were with Beth."

Mick scrubbed his hand across his face.

"Did Lance tell you about my re-turning?"

"No. Josef did ... shortly after I came home. He even laughed when he told me how easy it was for you to throw away your mortality."

"Bullshit!" Mick snarled, as he shot out of his chair and started to pace. "Josef knew it wasn't an easy choice!"

"Of course, Josef always tells the truth. Always. Especially to me," Coraline stated calmly. "Pay attention, Mick. I'm not the one who said it was easy." She took a sip of wine. "You know there's no love lost between me and Josef. And your surrogate-sire couldn't wait to twist the knife in my back..."

She put down her glass, stood and collected her coat and purse. Mick watched from the kitchen as she started towards the door.

"Beth needed me."

Coraline kept walking.

"She's not like you."

Coraline stopped and whispered, "Meaning?"

"You're always in control."

"How dare you?" Coraline spun around and spat, "Did I look like I had _any_ control when Lance plunged that stake into my chest?"

"You went with him willingly!"

"To save your life, you ungrateful bastard. And you knew it." She stalked back to the sofa and sat down. She was trembling. "All these years, you've hated me. Blamed me. Told everyone that I was responsible for turning you into a monster. Well, news flash, Mick! I turned you into a _vampire_. The _monster_ part was all your own work. Look me in the eye and tell me you don't love the power."

"I don't."

"Liar."

Mick barked a laugh, and resumed his seat opposite Coraline.

"That's rich coming from you, considering that our entire marriage was based on a lie."

"It's true that I withheld certain information. And I misjudged your reaction to my wedding gift. But I didn't lie to you, Mick. I always loved you." She sighed. "Even after you staked me and set me on fire."

Mick dropped his head.

"I had to save Beth–"

"By burning me alive? That was one hell of a crime of passion. You couldn't think of a less extreme way to deal with the situation?"

"No."

"Does Beth know what you're capable of?"

Mick silently regarded his scotch.

"I'll take that as a big 'no'. That's funny, actually, considering that you just said that our marriage was based on a lie." Coraline laughed softly. "And you have no idea what your innocent princess is capable of, either."

Mick took a deep swallow of his drink, and snarled, "Leave Beth out of this."

"You're the one who keeps bringing her into the conversation, Mick. I'm just surprised that with you being a PI and all, that you don't know her better. You certainly have no problem interrogating me."

Mick looked up, and his hazel eyes bored into Coraline's deep brown ones.

"Not. Another. Word."

Coraline picked up her wine glass, leaned back on the sofa, and waited. After a few minutes, Mick stood and went into the kitchen. He returned with his scotch in one hand and the wine bottle in the other.

Coraline proffered her glass, and Mick poured.

He sat down and took another gulp of liquor before he broke the silence.

"Lance implied that your sire may have been ... less harsh ... if I'd gone to plead on your behalf."

Coraline's hand fluttered elegantly before coming to rest on her lap.

"Perhaps."

Mick leaned forward and said, "I need you to understand why I didn't go after you." He waited for a reaction, but Coraline only took a sip of her wine. "So much happened so quickly." Mick frowned. "I'm not sure how much of this you already know. Josh – Beth's boyfriend – had been murdered. You gave me The Cure ... and being mortal again felt so good. Then Beth and Talbot were taken by a vampire-plastic surgeon, who had a nice little sideline in rare blood types. I found out the hard way that I couldn't protect Beth as a human, so Josef turned me back in order to rescue her. After that, I took a job as a security adviser to Tierney Taylor." Mick paused just long enough to rub the bridge of his nose. "And then a vampire business associate of Josef's threatened the safety of the entire L.A. vampire community. Justice was done – but that night, Beth and I hit a crisis point in our relationship."

Mick looked at his ex-wife sitting opposite, but she merely regarded him silently, with her chin resting on one hand.

"Coraline? Are you gonna say anything?"

"Like what, Mick? That I completely understand why you just got on with your immortal life here, while I was being tortured every night in France?"

"After everything you've done ... all the pain you've inflicted–"

"Do not try to tell me what happened was justice!" She could see Mick was seething, but at least he had enough sense to keep his thoughts to himself. "At the time we met," Coraline continued, in a softer tone, "well let's just say I had plenty of suitors ... but I fell in love with you, Mick. I fell hopelessly, desperately in love for the first time in my long life. Everything I did from that point was for you. I took Beth because you wanted a family–"

"You destroyed her life!"

"How? By giving her a beautiful room that was every little girl's dream? Worse things than that happen to children every day."

"You still don't get it, do you?" Mick demanded icily.

"Get what, exactly? What am I supposed to understand, Mick? I know that Beth broke into my home, went through my possessions, and then hunted me down and stabbed me with a wooden stake! That was premeditated almost-murder. But Beth gets a free-pass on everything because when she was four years old, she spent a few days in a beautiful room." Coraline leaned forward. "In all the years we were married, did you ever once wonder what I had to do just to survive until I was old enough to escape from my family?"

"Coraline–"

"You started this, Mick. Now let me speak. I persuaded Cynthia to study biochemistry just to help me research The Cure, _for you_. I incurred the wrath of my family, _for you_. And I literally traded my life for yours when I went with Lance." Coraline closed her eyes. "So don't you dare try to tell me that I got what I deserved. I have been paying for decades for the crime of falling in love with Mick St. John." She stood up and pulled her coat on, before turning back to Mick. "As I explained at Emma and Josef's wedding, I only returned to L.A. to recover. I haven't interfered in your relationship with Beth. And I adore Emma. So I plan to stay for a while. For all our sakes, Mick, I hope we can put this behind us."

Coraline walked across the room, but stopped a few feet from the door and looked back.

"You said you need me to understand why you didn't make any attempt to save me. Well, I think I understand the whole situation better than you understand it yourself. To Beth, you're her sexy vampire. To Emma, you're her perfect big brother. And when Lance and his servant caught us in the alley, you fought so hard to protect me, even though you knew you didn't stand a chance. You should have run, but then you were always a brave knight errant." Coraline smiled sadly. "But you know something, Mick? Whenever it was that you made the ruthless, pragmatic decision to forget about me ... _that_ was the moment you really turned into a monster."

Coraline paused to let her words sink in. Mick just stared at her with a slack-jawed expression, looking like he'd forgotten how to speak. She took one step towards him, but stopped herself from taking a second, because at that moment the distance between them was insurmountable.

The pain etched in his face broke her heart.

Nevertheless, she refused allow Mick to continue to dismiss her sacrifice.

"No matter what you told yourself – or anyone else – it was never about me being a Bitch Goddess; it was all about your pride. You're the toughest vampire in L.A. and you revel in it. Lance is the only one to ever get the better of you, and your pride couldn't take that. With your alpha-male ego, it was easier for you to pretend that I didn't matter anymore, rather than admit that you weren't strong enough to rescue me. That's your Achilles heel, Mick." She opened the door and added, "Just remember that pride is one of the seven deadly sins, so if you're looking for absolution, I suggest you try a church."

Without looking back, Coraline pulled the door closed behind her.

She drove home in the pre-dawn light, and immediately retreated to her freezer. Yet even safely wrapped in the cocoon of numbing darkness, the memories flooded back and overwhelmed her.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The plot is the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Characters: Coraline; Lance; plus, Mick and Beth.

Rating: PG-13 for adult themes.

A/N: This story is a mix of canon and AU. In order to create a timeline, I borrowed from my Josef & Emma series. Accordingly, this takes place after the events of The Mortal Cure.

Warning: Dark / disturbing themes.

**Six Months****. **

"Coraline?"

I jerked awake at the sound of my name being spoken, and slammed back against the wall of the dungeon. I braced myself against the anticipated impact of fist or blade, but none came.

One of my eyes was still swollen shut, so I knew that little time had passed while I slept.

_Time. _

I almost laughed at myself for musing on such things.

Time had become a capricious concept to me. The only way I could measure its passage with any certainty was by taking stock of how much I had healed from the most recent onslaught of punishment.

I tentatively opened my good eye, but all I could make out was his immense form looming in the shadows. The stench of dampness, blood, and tears overwhelmed all else, denying me my vampiric ability to identify my visitor by scent. Even so, the fact that he had not used a scalpel to wake me narrowed down the possibilities vastly.

"Coraline?"

His voice was barely more than a whisper.

"What time..." I rasped, then tried again. "What time is it, Lance?"

"Around midnight. I brought you fresh blood. Can you swallow?"

I shook my head. He moved towards me and stopped in a beam of moonlight. I noted absently that the moon must be full.

_Another month had passed. _

_How many was it now? _

I focused on my brother. Only half his face was illuminated; his black eye gleamed. Knowing only too well the cruelty our sire was capable of, he had still brought me here. And yet his tenderness was the only reason that I was still alive – to use the term loosely.

_Mick. _

_Lance. _

_It seems that my destiny is endlessly entwined with complicated men. _

Abruptly, the flash of moonlight on metal commanded my full attention, but I quickly realised that it was a small tray, rather than a weapon, in Lance's hand.

The tray made a dull ringing sound as he placed it on the stone floor next to me, but a moment later, the reverberation was gone. The room had been designed to suppress noise. Torture chambers were not supposed to echo, after all. Lance knelt down next to me. He reached out and began to loosen the strands of my hair that were stuck to my face; matted and tangled with my blood.

Fresh water. I could smell clean water in addition to the blood.

Lance dipped a small cloth into the warm water and tenderly wiped the blood and dirt from my face.

I appreciated his attempts at gentleness, even though I had forgotten how it felt to be without physical pain.

Oddly though, as days had turned into weeks, I had learned to focus on the physical injuries as a way to dull the _other_ pain.

The pain of abandonment.

I touched Lance's arm for a moment, and asked, "How long?"

"Six months ... you've been here for six months."

"Mick? Is he...?"

"Yes." Lance turned until his face was hidden entirely by shadow. With my damaged eye, I couldn't read his expression, but his voice was stilted. "Mick is a vampire – again – and by all reports he has embraced it this time."

I wanted to scream at him; demand to know what he was withholding from me. But my throat was too damaged for histrionics.

"Tell me ... please," was all I could manage.

"Your husband has become quite involved with his blonde paramour."

_Beth. _

"He loves her. Please don't hurt them." I closed my fingers around my brother's wrist and held on as tightly as I could. "Please. I don't want to die knowing you're going to kill them."

"Coraline, you are not going to die," Lance said quietly. We both knew he was lying. Then he turned and faced me with his usual haughty expression. "Your beloved Mick was stupid enough to take me on – twice, in fact – so if I intended to kill him, he would be dead already."

My good eye closed of its own accord, as my mind's eye replayed the night in a detached, professional way – as though I'd photographed the scene. The filthy alleyway. Mick, bloodied and broken, lying on the ground. Helpless. Looking on as Lance drove the stake into my chest.

_Mick had risked his newfound and precious mortal life, all to protect me._

"Mick is brave – not stupid!" I said as forcefully as I could manage.

"Perhaps." Lance rinsed the cloth and silently turned his attention to cleaning my arms and hands. "Your fingernails have regrown," he murmured, almost as though he was alone and thinking aloud. When he was finished, he dropped the cloth with a wet plop onto the tray. "Still, he wasn't brave enough to attempt to rescue his wife, was he?"

I looked up into my brother's face – but my throat refused to cooperate.

_How could Mick have even thought of rescuing me when he was mortal? It would have been suicide to face my sire and Mick must have known that. It's alright. The only thing that matters is that Mick is safe. _

"Glad–"was all I managed to choke out before my voice cracked.

Lance moved swiftly, and cradled me against his chest.

"I know you're glad Mick hasn't come here. You keep telling me that." He lifted a glass to my lips and whispered, "Now ... try to drink."

I gagged and spat the blood all over his pristine shirt. To my surprise, he didn't say a word. He did, however, lean me back in his arms and dribble blood into my mouth – a few drops at a time – until the glass was empty.

I felt my body begin the process of healing, but given the amount of damage, it didn't seem to know where to begin. Although I was acutely aware that my eye remained swollen shut, at least the pain in my abdomen had eased a little, and I felt my thigh bone begin to mend.

_Perhaps I would see another sunrise, after all. _

"Thank you." I caught Lance's gaze and held it. "And Lance ... I'm _glad_ that Mick didn't risk his life – again – to save me. I love him..."

"I know." He brushed my hair back off my face. "Try to sleep now. Heal. We both know that _he_ will return soon enough."

Lance eased me back against the wall, and without another word, picked up the tray and left.

Finally I had the news I needed – that Mick was safe. Not only was Mick safe, but he had realized that being a vampire was a blessing, not a curse. His relationship with Beth was inconsequential; he would come back to me sooner or later.

_However, I have to survive the penalty my sire sees fit to exact, first. Still, it's been six months. He has made an example of me. Eventually he'll grow bored and let me go._

But in the here and now, my body craved sleep, so I curled up and gave in to the darkness.

Abruptly, I regained consciousness to the sound of a woman screaming in pain – and I realized that the woman was me.

My sire had returned.

_Mick! I have to focus on Mick. I have to survive to see Mick again. Nothing else matters... _

Despite that belief, my mind went blank as another scream tore from my throat.

**********


End file.
